ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 10, 2009 - Two on-the-water towing companies were singled out for their heroism and professionalism at the BoatU.S. Towing Services Annual Conference recently held in Destin, Fla.

U.S. Coast Guard Chief of Search and Rescue Capt. David McBride presented the BoatU.S. Life Saving Award to TowBoatU.S. Virginia Beach for their involvement in the rescue of four anglers during a tempest last year off the coast near Cape Henry, Va.

After a container ship notified the Coast Guard of the stricken vessel, Capt. Byron Farlow was first on the scene of the capsizing, which plunged the three men and one woman into 48-degree water.

As the container ship deftly moved upwind to shelter the small towboat from rough seas and 50 mph wind gusts, Capt. Farlow, with his own vessel taking on water, single-handedly pulled all four anglers from the ocean and sped them back to shore and waiting ambulances. Three experienced mild hypothermia but all survived.

Tower of the Year honors went to TowBoatU.S. Manasquan, N.J., Owned and operated by Capt. Tom Hurst, the company was honored for its near perfect towing dispatch operation, case management, and best safety record for a high-volume towing business.

TowBoatU.S. Manasquan ranks in the top 5% of the entire TowBoatU.S. and Vessel Assist fleet, providing on-the-water assistance and towing service to over 1,000 boaters each year in nearly every kind of weather condition and sea state. The company also received the highest regards from customers, and has been in the TowBoatU.S. fleet since 1994.

"While we are not emergency responders, the very nature of our business often leads to our involvement in preventing injuries and sometimes saving a life," said BoatU.S. Vice President of Towing Services Jerry Cardarelli. "We are very proud of the accomplishments of both of these companies and their professional staff."